Image: Diesel Electric Engine

The Pioneer Zephyr is an electric train that uses a diesel electric engine to generate the power needed to run the train.

The engine crankshaft extends into the generator, where it is wrapped with coils of conducting wire and is surrounded by a stationary magnetic field. A DC electric current is produced in the coil as the shaft rotates in the magnetic field. The electricity runs motors that turn the wheels, setting the train in motion.